North Carolina suing the Sackler family

A day after the Sackler family's lawyers said they will ask for protection against any additional opioid-related litigation, North Carolina's attorney general filed a new lawsuit accusing eight members of the family of fueling the opioid crisis, according to The Hill.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein accused the family of siphoning billions of dollars in profits from its company Purdue Pharma to grow wealthier. Mr. Stein said he believes the family members were the driving force behind Purdue Pharma's deceptive marketing practices of OxyContin.

The lawsuit also accuses the family of pushing salespeople to spread misinformation, withhold information about opioid dangers and downplay the addictiveness of OxyContin. It also claims the Sackler family targeted seniors, veterans and other vulnerable populations in its marketing and sales strategies.

Mr. Stein said the state has been negotiating with the Sackler family for months, but the family has not been willing to take proper responsibility.

North Carolina is one of the roughly two dozen states that have not agreed to a proposed settlement from Purdue Pharma.